Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Announces Fifth Annual Green Crab Week 2024

July 31, 2024

NANTUCKET, MA - Join the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), Nantucket Land and Water Council (NLC), and Sustainable Nantucket (SN) for the Fifth Annual Nantucket Green Crab Week! The MMA, NLC, and SN will be offering fun daily events August 5 to August 10 to learn about, and take action against, invasive European green crabs on Nantucket.


European green crabs were first introduced to North America in the 1800s, likely traveling the ballast water of merchant ships from Europe. This invasive species is now abundant on Nantucket, threatening crucial aquatic resources, including eelgrass beds, shellfish populations, and native crab communities here on the island. Together, as a community, it is possible to help prevent green crabs from destroying the natural resources that make Nantucket’s waters so special! So please come join us during Nantucket Green Crab Week to learn more.


The Maria Mitchell Association is a private non-profit organization. Founded in 1902, the MMA works to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, in addition to preserving the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages. For more information on the Maria Mitchell Association’s environmental work and initiatives, please visit www.mariamitchell.org.


The Nantucket Land and Water Council is a 501(c)3 environmental advocacy organization – protecting and preserving open space, harbor, pond, and groundwater, and advocating for the environment at Select Board, Planning Board, and Conservation Commission meetings. The Nantucket Land and Water Council also hosts the State of the Harbor Forum each year and Oysterfest each November to educate residents on the state of our water resources, and what we can all do to help maintain this critical resource. For more information on the Nantucket Land and Water Council, please visit www.nantucketlandcouncil.org.


Founded in 2000, Sustainable Nantucket’s mission is to preserve the community character of Nantucket while sustaining its economic and environmental vitality. Sustainable Nantucket (SN) is a grassroots, local, non-profit organization that is building a more locally-based and self-reliant food system on-island through education, advocacy, training, and partnerships which include farmers, fishermen, local food producers, schools, restaurants, and other community stakeholders. For more information on Sustainable Nantucket, please visit www.sustainable-nantucket.org.


MMA Green Crab Identification Workshop and Derby Information Session

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Nantucket-Green-CrabIdentification-Workshop-and-Info-Session

Monday, August 5, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Price: FREE

Location: MMA Aquarium, 32 Washington Street

Join Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium staff to learn how to identify the European green crab (Carcinus maenus), an invasive species that threatens Nantucket's native species and habitats! We will compare these species to local crab species and determine their biological sex. This is a great chance to learn about our annual Nantucket Green Crab Derby and all its events!


MMA Nantucket Green Crab Survey: Bait & Line

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Nantucket-Green-Crab-Survey-Baitand-Line-Method-06Aug2024

Tuesday, August 6, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Price: FREE

Location: Hither Creek Beach Access (Beach Access #52)

Join Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium staff on a survey for invasive European green crabs! This survey will be a part of the MMA Nantucket Green Crab Community Science Survey that you can do yourself at any time. In this session, we will be using the bait and line method.


Green Crab Fertilizer Workshop with the Sustainable Nantucket and Nantucket Land and Water Council

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Annual-Green-Crab-FertilizerWorkshop-with-the-Nantucket-Land-Council

Wednesday, August 7, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Price: FREE

Location: Mt. Vernon Farm, 168 Hummock Pond Road

In collaboration with the Nantucket Land and Water Council and Sustainable Nantucket, please join us for this free workshop on how to help control the population of the invasive green crab. Green crabs can be turned into an environmentally friendly fertilizer for your garden. Participants should bring completely waterproof boots they are comfortable crushing dead crabs with, as well as a sealable bottle or jar to take home their fertilizer. We will provide crabs, coolers, vinegar, and take-home fertilizer instructions.


MMA Nantucket Green Crab Survey: Wading & Hand Net

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Nantucket-Green-Crab-SurveyWading--Hand-Net-09Aug2024

Friday, August 9, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Price: FREE

Location: Hither Creek Beach Access (Beach Access #52)

Join Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium staff on a survey for invasive European green crabs! This survey will be a part of the MMA Nantucket Green Crab Community Science Survey that you can do yourself at any time! In this session, we will be using the wading with hand net method. 2024 Nantucket Green Crab Derby Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Annual-Green-Crab-Derby10Aug2024 Saturday, August 10, 10 AM – 3 PM Price: $10 per team, each comprised of up to four participants Location: MMA Aquarium, 32 Washington Street Help the Maria Mitchell Association and the Nantucket Land and Water Council fight the green crab invasion by participating in the 5th Annual Nantucket Green Crab Derby! Participate in a team of up to four people to help us maintain healthy marine habitats and for a chance to win prizes.
  

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For Immediate Release

July 31, 2024

Contact: Allison Lowe

marketinginterns@mariamitchell.org

Recent Posts

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • December 15, 2025
[1855] On the 12 th [December] at 8 o’clock, I found a comet in Cetus. It is probably that seen by Bruhns in Berlin on Nov. 12. It is round and bright and moved so rapidly that in an hour I was certain of its change of place. From 8 to 10 ½ it had moved about half the diameter of my field of view. I tho’t it varied in its light but of this I am not quite certain, as I at times changed from one instrument to another, and I cannot be certain that my eye was not somewhat affected by the size of different powers, so as to affect my judgement. I would give a good deal for it to be my own possession, because it would convince me that I was not declining in vigor.  This comet, unlike her won comet of October 1, 1847, is fairly fast moving – it would take many calculations and much time for her comet to illustrate its movement – beyond just the appearance of its “tail.” Maria had made earlier comments in the month about if being a hard year – the hardest of her life. The loss of friends, her mother’s illness. But this, with other matters, buoyed her spirit and she talked about her “blessings.” This comet was one seen by Maria only eight years after her comet discovery so it seems interesting that she feels she is slipping and not as “vigorous” – she is only thirty-seven years old at this date. JNLF

A Swatch of Fabric

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • December 9, 2025
Another re-blog. I came across this recently while looking through my computer files. I want to re-blog it in memory of Jean Hughes, an incredibly gifted islander, who was directly influential in the lives of so many island children and those in need. She was the Coffin School Trustee’s President for many years and I had the honor to serve as a trustee under her. She passed away in the summer of 2025. Jeanie loaned me this from her family collections as she thought I would enjoy it. She knew me better than I thought she did. With love. 1830s Chinese silk to be exact. It literally floated into my lap as I sat reading a letter.  A letter from a young Nantucket girl to her grandparents. A young girl who just several years before had moved from tiny Nantucket Island to San Francisco with her mother to join her father. He had moved for better work and a better life. Nantucket was in an economic decline. Reading this treasure trove of letters – loaned to me by a friend who is a descendant of these people I mention – was like spying on them. Now, when I read Mitchell family letters and writing it is slightly different for me. Having worked in the Mitchell House for so long, I feel like they are a part of my family. This batch of letters was different however. I felt like they know I read their letters – as if they were looking over my shoulder or sitting on the other side of the room aghast. I felt like they thought no one ever would – or at the very least an outsider – read this correspondence. The worse letter one was the son writing to his mother upon receipt of her letter telling him of his father’s death. That was hard. Made harder because he thought his father was fine – he was as of the last letter a month or two before. Made harder as I lost my own Father a little over a year ago. I knew how he felt – but cannot imagine receiving a letter that is about a month old telling one of such horrible news. He had not seen his father in several years. I could speak to my Father, visited him monthly, and was there with him. That was not an easy letter to read. The silk fabric piece is quite beautiful – and still pristine – as if it was just folded into the letter yesterday. She wanted to share with her grandparents the dress that her cousin had brought to her directly from Hong Kong. A cousin, who was likely pregnant – or “sick” as was written but it was obvious what “sick” meant (yes, pregnancy was looked at as an illness in a way – and there were high rates of infant and mother mortality during and immediately following birth). The cousin had travelled back and forth to Hong Kong on the China Trade with her husband it seems but due to the pregnancy had to be put off with family or others until the baby was born. This was a common practice for the wives of whale captains who might go to sea with their husbands. They were put off with other whaling families or missionaries in far off ports so that they could have their baby where others could help. Sometimes they were put off months in advance. And, did you know that Nantucket whale wives were the FIRST to go to sea with their captains husbands? They set the trend – after all, we were the whaling capital of the world. At least, until we lost that title for multiple reasons. I digress. The other piece that leads one to realize that money was to be had – at least for the cousin – is that she didn’t bring fabric – she brought the dress already made in Hong Kong. Yes, it would have been less costly there than in the United States but it shows there was extra money for spending. And, there was enough excess fabric inside the dress for this young girl to cut off a piece of it and send it to her grandparents. Making them feel as if they were a part of her daily life – and making her feel that way too. So far from home. On the other side of the continent with Nantucket Sound in the midst, to boot. JNLF

Keep Calm and Bird On: December 2025

December 1, 2025
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